Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Graham Gilbert completed 27-of-43 attempts for
249 yards and a touchdown to push the SMU Mustangs to a 34-6 victory over the
Southern Miss Golden Eagles in a Conference USA matchup at Ford Stadium.
Gilbert also rushed the ball five times for a team-high 94 yards and two scores
to help SMU (5-5, 4-2 C-USA) win for the third time in its last four outings.
Jeremy Johnson and Der'Rikk Johnson each made eight receptions in the contest.
Johnson tallied 97 yards and Thompson finished with 66 yards. Zach Line was the
most frequent ball carrier with 22 carries which he turned into 92 yards and
six points. Margus Hunt made an impact on the other side of the ball with a
tackle for loss, sack, and interception.
Southern Miss (0-10, 0-6) now has lost 10 games in a row after winning the
conference just a season ago. Chris Campbell completed 8-of-18 attempts for 93
yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Jamie Collins continued his
strong play on the other side of the ball with seven tackles, two tackles for
loss, and a forced fumble.
The Mustangs took an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Gilbert put SMU on
the board with a 36-yard touchdown run just over three minutes after kickoff.
Chase Hover added a 34-yard field goal at the 3:59 mark of the opening period.
Southern Miss put its first points on the board with 9:39 left before halftime
as Campbell completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dominique Sullivan. The extra
point attempt by Corey Acosta was blocked which kept the Mustangs' ahead by
four points.
SMU then closed out the half with 17 unanswered points as Hover drilled a 33-
yard field goal, Line rushed three yards into the end zone, and Gilbert
completed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darius Johnson. The big run by SMU gave
it a 27-6 lead at the intermission.
After a scoreless third frame, Gilbert scored on the ground again with a 19-
yard touchdown run at the 4:43 mark of the fourth quarter for the final scoring
play of the contest.
The Golden Eagles were held to a season-low of 178 yards of total offense.
GAME NOTES:
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